


Stumbling in Blind

by ainamclane



Series: Little Black Dress RT Challenge [26]
Category: Blind Justice (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-03
Updated: 2016-10-03
Packaged: 2018-08-19 09:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8200237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ainamclane/pseuds/ainamclane
Summary: Jim merely had to train his senses anew...





	

The whole point of Terry being partnered with Jim was that according to the Sentinel and Guide centers, Jim was more stable and right on track with his senses. It was one reason they were partnered together but Jim felt strange around him.

As a Sentinel, his instinct to protect was there. Especially his Guide and other Guides in a shootout.

In a shootout where Terry was freezing in his tracks, gun in his hands but not daring to show his head from behind his cover. And Jim? Jim couldn’t leave his fellow officers alone in a shootout. Couldn’t leave the others in this chaos.

His gun clicked empty. Jim frowned and looked around, quickly realizing that Terry hadn’t fired a single shot and was still cowering behind the corner.

The second clicking of an empty gun, this time a machine gun, accelerated Jim’s high adrenaline response and with a spurt, Jim was in front of Terry, taking his gun from his cold, sweaty and nimble hands, daring to lose cover and shooting at the man.

He hit his target full on in the chest. But not without being shot.

*

The darkness that followed Jim wasn’t all that bad. It was different, yes, but not that bad.

He had learned to control his senses far better now. He could smell more, hear even further and taste and touch with a better accuracy. He had his senses fully trained for once.

The police had never valued him as a Sentinel. Sentinels were known about but were rare. Only one in a million was registered as a Sentinel or a Guide. Hence he had been partnered with Terry in the hopes they were a match. Nevertheless, most of the official services were not equipped to train a Sentinel.

Hence, after he had started to train his martial arts and went to his therapy sessions, Dr Galloway, the good man had reached out to a fellow doctor in Anthropology, namely Blair Sandburg and his Sentinel Jim Ellison. They came running right away and Blair, with the annoyed Sentinel, started to train Jim in a special way, as well as conducting an experiment about the whole Sentinel being blind thing.

That both men were cops now was just an added bonus in retraining him. Ellison’s time in the army came as a big plus in training Jim in a few tricks.

Now, after all this time, Jim was ready to head to the new job. He was a detective; he was trained to put the pieces together. He could call backup if he needed it. He could still do his job. He could identify where his partner was in a room. He would be suitable for the job.

With Dr Galloway’s help, Jim was retraining and recertifying his gun and basic police training. That he had to sue his way back to his job was merely a small trouble along the way.

Christie had been the best help Jim could get. They had married before Jim had become a Sentinel some ten years ago. They had had their difficulties and she always knew that one day Jim could find his perfect match of a Guide but she was fine with it.

Now, after Jim had been shot, they had talked it through that it was over between them. While they still loved each other, they weren’t in love anymore and neither were too old to start dating again and find happiness while staying friends.

Jim’s relief at keeping her in his life was telltale. She helped him around the house, basically just helping him chose colors for his cloths until Jim had figured out how to do that himself, namely, only buying suits that light colored shirts would fit. No matter which shirt he caught.

His relationship with Christie had improved ever since they agreed to stay friends and live together to save money for now and until they found a life partner. It was something else to not live alone.

Making his way to the new, the 8th, precinct by foot was something that Jim had trained the last months. He didn’t quite need Hank but it was a great company and showed the people around him that he was indeed, blind. Add that Hank sometimes saw things that he couldn’t detect and Hank was great in getting him out of a zone if he should detect one.

Thanks to Sandburg and Ellison, Hank knew what to look for.

The first impression he had of the new team was a hostile feeling. He could sense the nervous energy in the room, he could smell the pheromones, stress, sweat and loathing on the others’ skins. He could also detect the basic, strong emotions. While he wasn’t an Alpha level, he did have an empathic sense. Barely but he had it.

His new team also didn’t get the fact that he was a Sentinel. It was something he wanted to keep quiet about and Blair had practiced his shields with him. He was basically undetectable for other Sentinels or Guides.

Jim was called in by Lt. Fisk and followed the other man into the office. He could hear the others talking and sighed. It was only logic that they would talk about him behind his back.

He knew no one wanted him on their team or as their partner. They didn’t know him, only saw him as a blind guy that would hold them back. That could be the case in a few instances but overall, Jim didn’t believe it.

Being assigned to Karen was a godsend. She was used to being treated badly because a woman and a cop still was a tough business and she could relate more than others about the whole issue.

She was also kind enough to voice her opinions and right there, she was a strong personality. Marty and Tom were a complete different matter. They were right there in his face, telling him they didn’t trust him to have their backs. And how could they? He hadn’t proven his worth yet.

Replaying the whole scenes in his mind, Jim could still smell the blood on their victims’ bodies. He could tell the second they were pulled off of the case that they wouldn’t be signed back on.

Smelling the cordite of the gun was dumb luck. He had dialed his sense of smell up so that he could register the smell of ashes through the foil. That made it possible for him to smell it. The faint trace of gunpowder.

Karen’s trust in him was nice and he briefly considered to tell her about his senses. Not yet, though.

Getting a print, they got the case going. And with that case, they had a foot in with the big case. Getting reassigned again was just a small obstacle but it gave Jim the time to sense his surroundings and everything there. He heard it then. The train tracks. The thing that was a common factor on all the places.

While Jim knew they didn’t like them from the start, he was still surprised when Marty stood up for him. Literally. The cell right there with that guy badmouthing him was something. Marty standing up for him was surprising but maybe not too strange as the cops tended to stick together. But it was oddly comforting to know the man had his back. Jim had learned not to listen to that crap a while ago, but this was something else.

That they questioned his gun a second later, that Marty didn’t trust him, was also okay. He was allowed to question it. He was a fellow cop he would have to defend. He was a detective worried about backup or another danger in the field.

Tension. Emotional doubt and uncertainty. Jim could detect it from them. And while he focused on Marty, he realized the other man smelled nice. Good even. It was kind on his senses but distracting a bit.

Karen’s voice broke through their tension and it bled away in an instant.

Checking out the guys, one on one, was tough going but they fell into sync easily. Working with Karen here was nice and going well. She indicated the steps which was nice because while Jim could detect quite a bit, that was something that he couldn’t account for.

Their first case and Jim had to point his gun at the man, holding him in check was tough and hard.

He heard Karen screaming. He heard them fighting. He tried to get to them quickly and stumbled and fell over stuff. He wasn’t concentrated enough to make out the sounds and smells of furniture around him. Needing to protect her was his top priority.

Jim cornered the man, pointing his gun straight at his heart. He also knew he was bluffing. The heart rate skipped a telltale beat as well as the lack of metal smell in the room. Karen’s body and pain radiated into his mental shields and was distracting but Jim knew he had to hold out until backup was there.

It was a good first case, all in all. Making the guy talk and showing Marty that he could handle a surprise grab for his gun was an added bonus. Maybe this way they would slowly get to accept him.

*

A lot of heat between Marty and Jim later, Jim was slowly realizing what was going on. Marty was somehow attracted to him, oddly enough because Jim could smell it.

The question was, why. Jim knew Marty was trying to rile him up, was constantly seeking a confrontation, getting him hurt with carelessly leaving his drawers open and attacking him verbally.

Coming to blows in the locker room, Jim realized why Marty was this way. Getting a flicker of a mental shield failing was all it took for Jim to realize that Marty was a Guide.

His. Fucking. Guide.

Jim didn’t really know what to do with that information. Seriously, it was completely out of the blue that the one person in their team that didn’t trust him the most was his Guide.

Agreed, Jim had only protected Karen so much but he had hoped that holding his own in the interrogation room when he had been attacked was enough. Apparently not. On the other hand, it was rather important that Jim was showing them slowly what he could do.

Commenting on what shampoo Russo was using, wasn’t the smartest idea but it was a hint for the Guide and it was common knowledge that blind people had heightened senses.

It wasn’t helping. Jim slowly gained their trust though. It was tiring sometimes, not knowing whom to trust on his team, all the while Terry was coming back at him to apologize and trying to get him back. Of course Jim couldn’t stand to be around him again and he also didn’t want Terry around his Guide.

Dr Galloway was helpful as ever, therapeutically making sure that Jim wouldn’t get too frustrated, reminding him that he had Christie as a friend, that he could always go to his dojo and practice his martial arts, his katas that also helped him meditate to keep his senses in check.

Jim was trying to prove a point to them all when he agreed to go undercover. After all, a blind man couldn’t identify the bad guys. Right? Well, Jim could. Through smell and empathic markup.

That Hank was lost in the meantime, that was worrying him more than he let on. It was simply annoying that he couldn’t even smell him or hear his heartbeat. Making one call after the other, Jim gave a frustrated sigh.

Marty’s compassion was something Jim hadn’t expected. The offer to go to the next shelter together was sincere and nice. It gave Jim hope that Marty and him would eventually get along enough. The drive over was completed in silence. Jim was trying to reign his senses in and keep his shields up. Without Hank around, the pressure to keep his senses stable and from zoning was more important than ever.

Especially around a Guide. The Guide that felt about as mentally adapt as he was. The Guide that smelled like heaven to Jim. And damned if Jim hadn’t attuned to Marty’s heartbeat. He had. Ever since they had their confrontation in the locker room. The feel of Marty’s soft skin under his fingertips was nowhere near enough to calm his senses or imprint but nonetheless, Jim had partially used his focus on the other man.

Now, with the car smelling of Russo and Selway, Jim had to concentrate. Luckily, Marty caught up on the fact that he was tense and in no mood to talk. They were barely okay with working together.

“We’ll get Hank,” Marty finally said when they were approaching the shelter. Jim tried to make his way into the building but Marty interrupted his steps and guided his hand to his elbow, leading him through doors and to the dogs.

“I hope so,” Jim replied and then focused on every animal but not a single heartbeat and smell matched Hank. He shook his head already, before the woman running the shelter appeared and could ask them what was going on.

“We’re looking for his dog,” Marty replied and it was obvious with the silence that the woman had seen either their badges or just Russo’s because he hadn’t worn his suit jacket.

“What kind?” she replied before looking closer at how Jim was holding on to Marty on the elbow in a distinctive matter: “A service dog?”

“Yep,”

“Sorry, we haven’t gotten any service dog recently. I suspect he had a tag?” she asked and shook her head in denial.

Jim had already known that before he had walked up to the woman. It was simply a matter knowing his surroundings and knowing Hank.

Leaving the place, Jim was balling his hand in a fist, forgetting for a second though, that he was still holding on to Marty’s arm. The other man winced a bit before Jim could literally feel the Guide in the other detective coming out to play and keeping him calm and relaxed, which in turn made Jim actually relax in a matter of seconds even through his mental shields.

That Russo hadn’t yet realized he was a Sentinel was a surprise in itself but Jim wasn’t ready for any kind of relationship with Marty. It was too unsteady a relationship within the team.

“I need to find him,” Jim said angrily.

Marty guided his hand to the car door and agreed: “We will. Hell, I’ll drive you around the whole night if that is what you need.”

“Thank you,” Jim replied: “Maybe Christie will...”

Marty shrugged and tensed. Jim could feel the shift in the emotional shields. Maybe he hadn’t clarified. He should make it clear what was going on: “Christie and I signed the divorce papers. I would have asked her but if you could help me...”

Marty’s change was immediately. He apparently smiled, at least his emptions were quite happy so that Jim was figuring he smiled. He had no idea what the other man actually looked like and unlike with Karen, he wouldn’t ask anytime soon. Probably brown hair and brown eyes with a toned skin color due to his Italian name. but that could also be a fluke.

“Sure, I’ll help you out,” Marty agreed: “Fancy some dinner first?”

Jim shrugged: “As long as it’s not a typical cop bar, sure.”

“Why not-“ Marty asked and Jim wondered if he had been too direct in his approach. He thought about it for a moment, then realized that Marty had already caught on: “I hadn’t planned on one.”

And just like that, Jim had a date. Like, really. This was more than interesting how the whole debacle of the case was going. That Hank was still missing was not ignored but having Marty around was a big plus.

He quickly typed Christie that he would be going out for dinner but had mentioned what had happened with Hank and to let him know if a call came in. She had agreed.

Heading for dinner in a small place that smelled good and was quiet, Marty opened the menu and already started to read out what they had to offer. Jim smiled a bit and listened until he found something that he liked. The smell of the kitchen was already wafting over and making Jim’s decision easier.

Quickly ordering, they were eating their food right after, an easy conversation about a lot of topics coming up between them.

Until the ring of a phone brought them to a halt and Jim quickly answered the phone, looking at Marty, or what was Marty’s direction, out of habit, already standing in a hurry: “I’ll be right there. His name is Hank and he doesn’t bite.”

The rustle of bills was telling him right away that Marty had already grabbed his wallet and was throwing cash on the table, quickly following Jim out of the restaurant. He had to get there quickly, before he risked Hank being gone again. The man on the phone had asked about the money that was promised but Jim wasted no thought about that. He would write a check if needed.

Arriving at the curb of the place, Marty was getting out of the car but was slower than Jim who felt Hank coming towards him in an instant. The dog was soft under his skin and the man walked up to them, Marty standing behind them, observing.

“Is that your dog?” the man asked: “Great dog...”

“Yes, thank you for finding him,” Jim replied, looking towards the man that was speaking. The man seemed nervous and a second later was asking Marty about the money that was promised: “I’m sorry, I don’t know,” Marty replied and Jim got back on his feet: “Yes, of course, Sir, thank you for finding my dog.” Jim said and blindly shoved his hand towards the man. 

Feeling the error of miscalculating where the other man was standing when the angle of the handshake was off, Jim felt the man startle. A second later it was telltale: “You’re blind?”

“Yes,” Jim replied: “Hank is my service dog.”

“I don’t want the money,” the man quickly waved it off: “I’m happy I could help you.”

Jim was reaching for his wallet but Marty beat him to it: “I’m Detective Dunbar’s partner. If we can ever help you out, you can call me and I’ll patch you through. Anything at all.”

“You’re detectives?” he was surprised and looked at Jim in surprise. Hank was happily waggling his tail and sticking close to Jim.

“We are,” Jim agreed. 

“You’re the cop from the news. The one who got his job back,” the man realized: “Then I’m glad to help you.”

“I sense a but,” Jim said without judgment clouding his voice.

The man hesitated: “My nephew... he’s turning blind and wasting away. Maybe...” the man trailed off, not finishing the sentence. Behind them, Marty was petting Hank and opening up the back door of their car.

“Sure, give me a call and we’ll make an appointment and I’ll talk to him,” Jim agreed simply. He knew how tough life could be with a blindness. Not to mention if you knew you were turning blind day by day.

With nothing left to do, Marty drove Jim home, easy conversation going between them.

“Jim?” Marty asked and Jim turned back around on the sidewalk, turning to him and waiting for his question: “What is it about you that draws me in?”

Jim, surprised that Marty had felt something, quickly focused on his apartment and found that Christie wasn’t there. A moment later, Jim smiled at Marty and opened up his mental shields: “Open up your shields, Guide.”

Marty startled and quickly turned off the engine of the car, making his way out of it and around the front to stand in front of Jim. Hank by their side was eying them but keeping still: “You knew all this time that you’re my Sentinel?”

Jim sighed: “We weren’t ready, Marty. And I wasn’t. I probably never will due to the blindness.”

“Your shields were up so tight. I couldn’t feel this from you but I felt drawn to you anyways,” Marty said and stepped into Jim’s personal space: “I should have figured it out when you mentioned my shampoo.”

Jim laughed softly: “Yes, that was a clue. I was trying to give you hints but when I imprinted my senses on you, it was a done deal.”

Marty looked at him in surprise: “You do know that Karen’s not going to get you back?”

“What, you saying that before or after you kicked the hell out of that desk?” Jim asked with a smile and had gotten that story out of Karen after a moment. She had dragged him aside and told him how worried Marty had actually been when communication had broken off during the undercover op.

Marty hesitated briefly: “Before. Definitely before.”

the end


End file.
